Trial Delayed For Mother Charged In Baby's Death

ISLE OF WIGHT — A Smithfield mother awaiting trial on charges of killing her firstborn asked for permission Wednesday to go to college, get a job and go to the movies.

Isle of Wight Circuit Court Judge Rodham T. Delk Jr. granted the first two requests, but not the third.

"I'm not impressed with the request that she'd be allowed to go to the movies," Delk said.

Sykeethia Towns, 21, was charged in March with killing her 6-month-old baby, Nikayla, in 2004. Police suspect Towns suffers from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a disorder in which someone makes up or causes an illness in a child. Nikayla visited emergency rooms several times for the same complaint -- the baby would stop breathing.

The autopsy report was inconclusive but said Munchausen by proxy could not be ruled out. Her trial was scheduled for Aug. 16, but Town's attorney, Robert Lichtenstein of Hopewell, asked for a later date.

"Unfortunately, this is a complex case involving some psychological evaluation," Lichtenstein said.

Delk agreed and set trial for Dec. 10.

The bond requests brought to light another issue -- access to her other children. Towns is the mother of a boy who will be 20 months old this month, and she gave birth in May to her third child.

The bond was originally granted in March, when Towns' second child was in foster care and she was pregnant with her third. Delk set bond at $10,000, ordered her to live with a family friend and leave for only church and for medical and court-related appointments. He also ruled that she would not have custody of the baby upon delivery. The bond did not specify whether she could have access to the newborn or her other child.

Since then, one or both of the children have been put in the care of Towns' mother, Diane White of Chesapeake, Isle of Wight Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Georgette Phillips said.

That's not the case in Chesapeake, said Doris "Cookie" Palacios, director of human services. She said the older child is in the custody of Towns' mother.

"Sykeethia is not permitted to visit him," Palacios said.

The director of Isle of Wight's social services department, which has jurisdiction of the third child, declined to comment."Sykeethia is not permitted to visit him," Palacios said.

Delk said he had intended the bond to keep Towns away from her children, but he didn't have the specifics in front of him Wednesday because it was an unscheduled court appearance. He decided not to change that part of the bond. "I'm not in a position to address it," Delk said.

Phillips said it was news to her that Towns might have access to one of her children.

"If she does have the ability to have contact, that is something we need to address," Phillips said. "Once I get this necessary information, it would be my intention to bring a motion to the court to have her bond conditions clarified. I would request that she has no contact with the children."

Delk did rule that Towns could attend Paul D. Camp Community College, which her attorney said she signed up for but didn't say in which program, and that she could get a job. Lichtenstein said Towns was offered a job at a local business, but he didn't say where.

Phillips asked that Towns' bond not be amended for those conveniences.

"In a case of this nature," Phillips said, "the defendant would not be granted bond, or would be granted in such a high amount they would not be able to make bond."

Lichtenstein, in a phone interview after the court proceeding, applauded the judge's decision to grant academic and employment opportunities to Towns.

He called the case against her "unsubstantiated allegations" and said the state made her loss of a child worse by charging Towns with murder.

"All we ask is that the public keep an open mind and wait for the trial," Lichtenstein said. "We adamantly, vehemently, are going to protest this case." *